A vole is a type of animal commonly found in Cardassian space, resembling a giant-size Earth rat. They are attracted to energy output and often chew power transfer lines. (TLE novel: The Art of the Impossible)

For a time, Quark held vole fights in his bar after hours, resulting in a marked increase in his monthly power usage. When he attempted to have his power allocation increased, he and his brother Rom gave Captain Benjamin Sisko inconsistent stories about the cause for the power increase, and Sisko forced an end to the vole fights. (DS9 reference: Legends of the Ferengi)

In a 2389 interview conducted by Jake Sisko, Elim Garak compared trusting and leaving the Romulans without a planet to "leaving a bowl of sem’hal stew unattended upon a table, all the while knowing that a starving Cardassian vole was hiding under your chair." (ST website: The Path to 2409)